NATIONAL

High Court Pick Has Sparse K-12 Policy Record
Education Week, MD, May 10, 2010
President Barack Obama’s choice for his second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court-current U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan-is a nonjudge without the record of dealing with education law issues typical of nominees who have served on federal appeals courts.

It’s Time For Schools Of Education To Embrace New Routes To Teacher Certification
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 10, 2010
They should extend an olive branch to competitors such as Teach for America , and offer college graduates a full year of training before they begin their jobs in the classroom.

FROM THE STATES

Arizona

Tuition Tax Credit Bill Is Signed by Gov. Brewer
Arizona Republic, AZ, May 11, 2010
Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday signed into law revisions of Arizona ’s private-school tuition tax-credit program, adding accountability and allowing the maximum tax-credit donation to rise each year by the rate of inflation.

Colorado

Colorado House Ready To Vote On Controversial Teacher Reform Bill
Denver Post, CO, May 11, 2010
A controversial teacher bill took another step forward in its legislative journey Monday as it narrowly passed the House appropriations committee to set up a vote today on the House floor.

District of Columbia

D.C. Teachers Contract Paid For Through Budget Cuts, Reallocation of Funding
Washington Post, DC, May 11, 2010
After nearly five weeks of interagency finger-pointing and discord, District officials announced late Monday that they have found a way to finance the proposed teachers contract, paving the way for a vote by union rank-and-file on the $140 million pact.

Georgia

A Leap of Faith to A Charter School
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, May 10, 2010
A state-approved charter school represented an opportunity parents before me never had. Through hard work, collaboration, compromise and more hard work, we got our charter, which was denied by the DeKalb school board but approved by the state Charter Schools Commission.

Charter School Court Ruling May Impact Separate Case in Coweta
The Times-Herald, GA, May 11, 2010
A ruling by a Fulton County judge on Friday likely will negatively impact a Coweta County lawsuit filed in April that aims to stop the proposed Coweta Charter Academy in Senoia, Coweta Board of Education attorney Nathan Lee said this week.

Idaho

Charter Schools Statewide Also Hurt by Education Cuts
KPVI-TV, ID, May 10, 2010
Cuts, cuts, cuts. That word has been everywhere ever since the state of Idaho cut school funding, once again. However, one thing many people don’t realize is that charter schools are affected just as bad as public schools.

Illinois

Republicans Sell Out Chicago Schoolkids
Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2010
In the 19th century, Illinois was the land of Lincoln . In the 20th, it was the birthplace of Ronald Reagan. In the 21st, Illinois has given us a new breed of Republican: Roger Eddy.

Indiana

Union Ties Bind Kids to Inferior Schools
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 11, 2010
You would think the Democratic Party (of which I am a lifelong member) would be the first to embrace a plan that would send thousands more IPS children to college. The party premise has always been to look out for those in need. This is where politics enters the picture.

Louisiana

Teachers Would Be Evaluated Partly On Student Scores Under Bill That Clears House
The Times-Picayune, LA, May 10, 2010
The Louisiana House of Representatives handed Gov. Bobby Jindal a significant education policy victory today with a 68-26 vote in favor a proposal to link teacher evaluations to student test scores for the first time.

New York

Agreement Will Alter Teacher Evaluations
New York Times, NY, May 11, 2010
The State Education Department and New York’s teachers’ unions have reached a deal to overhaul teacher evaluations and tie them to student test scores, brokering a compromise on an issue the unions had bitterly opposed for years.

Texas

Peak Preparatory Charter School In Dallas Sends All Its Grads To College
Dallas Morning News, TX, May 11, 2010
One by one, the Dallas school’s seniors crossed the stage Friday and received a T-shirt and baseball cap with their new school logo, and signed a certificate showing where they’ll attend college.

Washington

Schools Need Ability to Override Teacher Seniority
News Tribune, WA, May 11, 2010
Seniority is a common element of teacher union contracts. From the union’s perspective, tenure is an objective means to settle possible conflicts between union members.

West Virginia

Back to Charleston
West Virginia Metro News, WV, May 11, 2010
Charleston Lawmakers will tackle eight proposals to overhaul West Virginia ’s educational system during a special session of the State Legislature Thursday.